Drier for nitrocellulose.



F. I. DU PONT.

DRIER FOR NITROCELLULOSE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I8, I9I7 glmgwg, .m1/med Apr. 22,1919.

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F. l. DU PONT.

DRIER FOR NITRUCELLULOSE.

APPLICATION FILED IIILY I5. |917.

L S IL D4Qo Patented Apr. 22, N19.

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Specification of Letters Patient. Patented Alpi". 22, 'ltllDuApplication fled July ld, 191'?. Serial No. imam?.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it lrnown that li, Francis DU PONT, a citizenef the United States,residing at Wilmington, county 'of New Castle and State of Delaware,have invented a new and useful llniprovement in Driers forNitrocellulose, of vwhich the following is a full, clear, andexactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,vwhich form a part of this specification. i

lhe object of my invention is to provide a drier which, although capableof other uses, is adapted more especially to the drying ofnitrocellulose, prior to treatment with ether and alcohol, in themanufacture of smokeless powder. .i

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown'in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation, partly in section, of anapparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section through the drying cylinder andheating chamber.

lig. 3 is' a longitudinal section of a portion of the drying cylinder. y

Through a long stationary casing or cylf inder a extends a rotarypower-driven shaft b having spokes c to which is secured a worm orspiral d extending close to the inner wall of the cylinder. The cylinderis supported on a frame-work e, which is shaped to form a chamber fthrough or into which the cylinder extends. Heating pipes g extendthrough the chamber.

At the admission end of the cylinder is located aihopper h having itsbottom closed by an endless carrier z', which, with the roller y',transfers the nitrocellulose in a slow, measured and substantiallylcontinuous stream fromthe hopper to the cylinder. 7

Ait the discharge end of the cylinder is a pipe le through which' airmay be forced with just sufficient pressure to cause it to circulatethrough the cylinder within the spiral in the direction opposite to thatof the travel of the nitrocellulose.

The upper part ofthe cylinder is made of juring the other parts of thedrier. rfhe supports m carried by, or forming part of, the frame-work e,extending over the top of the cylinderare made relatively heavy so thatthey will remain intact in case the upper part of the cylinder is blownout by the firing of the nitrocellulose as it is passing through thedrier. l v

The discharge end of the cylinder has a discharge chute n provided withrotary feed blades o for delivering the nitrocellulose withoutpermitting escape of the warm air used for drying. The discharge chuteleads to the apparatus within which the nitrocellulose undergoes furthertreatment.

`Having now fully described my invention, what l desire to claim andprotect by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a drier for nitrocellulose, the combination with a heatingchamber, of an imperforate cylinder extending within the chamber, theupper part of the cylinder being formed of rigid material and held inrigid and permanent relationship to the.f

lower part lof the cylinder 'and which is thin relatively thereto andwhich is thereby adapted, in the event of accidental :tiring of thenitrocellulose during drying, to olfer inferior resistance to theexplosive force, whereby danger to the operatives and destruction of themain part of the drier are avoided. I

2. lin-a drier for nitrocellulose, the combinationwith a heatingchamber, a cylinder extending within the chamber, the upper part of thecylinder being formed of relatively light material so that Ait willreadily rupture in the event of explosion, and a relatively heavysupport extending over the cylinder.

ln testimony of which invention, ll have hereunto set my hand, atVfilmington, Delaware, 'on this 12th day of d une, 1917 runners i. DUPour.

